Ice skating is not only a means of travel on ice. It is also a well established sport and recreational activity. Ice skating is essential in the game of ice hockey, and the sports of figure skating and speed skating. The typical ice skate known in the prior art generally includes a single narrow blade extending longitudinally and connected subjacently to brackets that are connected to the sole of a shoe or boot that is secured to the foot of the skater. The blade and brackets are typically made of metal and are in direct contact with the ice and the boot of the skate is generally exposed to cold air. Thus, the feet of the skaters typically become cold causing the skater to become uncomfortable. The forgoing reduces the skaters skating proficiency as well as reducing the amount of time the skater is on the ice.
Our bodies direct knowledge of heat is provided by the sensation of hotness or coldness the body receives when it comes in contact with various physical substances. A person's sensations of heat is qualitative and is considerably influenced by the substance a person comes in contact with. Every substance is in some measure a conductor of heat, though liquids are poor conductors and gasses almost non-conductors. The best conductors are metals. The flux of heat through a layer of any substance by conduction is proportional to the temperature gradient (fall of temperature per unit thickness) and to a factor called the "thermal conductivity" of the substance. The thermal conductivity is the heat flow across a surface per unit area per unit time divided by the negative of the ratio of the change of temperature with distance in a direction perpendicular to the surface. Thus, on a frosty day a piece of metal feels considerably colder than a piece of leather although the two are presumably at the same temperature. Temperature changes are produced by the addition or subtraction of heat from a object. Hence, temperature may be regarded as a measure of the concentration or intensity of heat. In general, the more heat that is it added to body the more the temperature rises.
Previously, skaters kept their feet warm by wearing thick leather boots and warm socks. One of the problems encountered with socks was that the thickness and number of the socks worn by the skater had to be constant so that the skaters feet would fit properly within the boot. Since, the temperature was not always the same sometimes the skaters foot would be cold and at other times the skaters foot would be warm. Thus, a disadvantage of the prior art was that skaters had difficulty in keeping their feet warm.
An additional disadvantage of the prior art was that the skater was unable to adjust the temperature inside the boot of the skate to the skaters desired temperature.